There were already enough reasons not to award it to Qatar. Qatar is a crap hole and what exactly has been their contribution to world football?
It would be a bigger flop than South Africa.

I agree Perth,

Qatar will be a flop.

They say matches will be played later at night when the temps are cooler, really!

How did Qatar get the World Cup when they're not a footballing nation as such, back handers of course.

They'd have to have a major relaxation of the alcohol laws over there. You can drink in the hotel or buy from the.one 'off licence' in Qatar. And they're pretty strict on behaviour too, so if doesn't exactly sound like fun. On top of that nobody will be going out during the day because it will be way too hot.
I hope they prove it was corrupt and award it somewhere decent.

By what measure/metric was South Africa a flop?

Jonny
In terms of post World Cup. Only 2 of the 10 stadiums built have any kind of financial sustainability with 4 of them being white elephants. And the promises of major infrastructure changes, although there were some, have had little impact on the lives of the majority.
In terms if money made by FIFA it was a success and in terms of numbers attending it was also a success.
But in terms of living up to its promises for South Africa it was not.
So for Qatar to hold a World Cup and build several unsustainable stadiums which will most likely never be used again, and for any significant changes to the country's footballing infrastructure makes no sense.
Qatar is oil rich and does not need World Cup money to spend on infrastructure.
What is the point if holding it there? For the ego of wealthy Arabs.
Give it to either a footballing nation with existing stadiums or a poorer nation but ensure FIFA decommission the stadiums properly afterwards.

Perth,

I agree with everything you have written other than your conclusion that the event was a flop.

By all accounts, the event itself was a success:

- organization,
- attendance,
- facilities,
- experience of thos who attended.

The football was not great and was low scoring in comparison to this world cup. The money that had to be spent byt he country and the construction of certain stadiums in remote locations and in Cape Town, as beautiful as it is, were disgraceful.

Jinny and I also agree that by the definitions you have stated it was a success.

Hey, you have the Gautrain now and I don't need a green sticker in my passport every time I visit SA now, huge success!

Jonny. And also it was supposed to kick start a whole new era of SA as a footballing nation.
But in fact none of that happened and SA even failed to qualify for the next World Cup.

Jonty the Gautrain is probably one of the better legacies of that World Cup.
Must go there one day.

Jonny, not Jinny. Damned autocorrect. I think Qatar will be worse in terms of unfulfilled potential and I actually see it as pointless holding it there.

Perth, it's a super country, still huge social issues to solve, its not say and not quick, but certainly a magical place to visit.

I work with a lot of people who fled for various reasons, some with nothing and they yearn for it but won't go back. Not yet anyway.
I'd go if I knew which parts to visit and which to avoid.

I don't think you need to avoid anywhere these days.

I would just be very careful with public taxis from airports, and driving on your own in Jo Burg or walking the streets there (do not do this).

Be careful wearing flash watches of jewellery.

Great for whale watching, seal spotting, shark diving, wine trail, and the safari parks are incredible.

https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/world-cup-fifa-hits-suarez-nine-game-ban-135049371--sow.html

Plenty of hot spots to avoid. Even the SA GPS's have hot spots programmed in!

Jonty left out the great food an dvery affordable prices as the Rand is weak right now, almost 11 to the US $.